Rugby 10s festival promises to be a huge hit in city
The Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency East London rugby 10s is just over a week away and excitement is building for what will be a fantastic inaugural event at Grens High School.
Some of the country’s best rugby stars will be descending on the city to take part in the tournament, including Scarra Ntubeni and Terra Mtembu, who have been integral in getting the East London leg up and running, and it is all set to create a festival atmosphere.
“It has been a little bit stressful, it has been a lot of planning and work, but everything is finally falling into place and I am very excited for the day,” admitted Sharks rugby star Mtembu.
“We have received a lot of positive feedback. It is happening at home in East London, so there is a lot of anticipation, we are just hoping that the weather plays its part and we are really looking forward to it.”
Both Ntubeni and Mtembu will have teams taking part in the day’s action, while a host of current franchise rugby stars from around the country are expected to play, making for a star-studded line-up.
“We have Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, we are hoping Shakes (Blitzboks captain Siviwe Soyizwapi) is going to be there, Sikhumbuzo Notshe will be here as well as upand-coming youngsters like Aphelele Fassi,” said Mtembu.
“Its going to be great to have all these Eastern Cape guys who have done really well in their careers so far and we will look to celebrate them at the 10s.
“We are also hoping Siya (Kolisi) will be able to make it.
Obviously things have been hectic on his side since the World Cup, but we still think he will have a chance to make it.”
Adding to the occasion will see Netball 10s also taking place, which will add a different sporting aspect to proceedings, while a number of top players from around the country, including current Proteas players are expected to be there.
“Having the netball just adds another dimension, there are a lot of talented netball players from this province as well, so it was important to give them the platform to get involved,” explained Mtembu. “Hopefully we can grow the event in the coming years and add more sporting codes.
“This is something that has never been done in East London before, it is something new and 10s is busy picking up globally at the moment, so this could go on for many years. We just want to see the people in the Border region turn out in their numbers to play and support.”
Entries are still available for both codes and any interested players or teams are encouraged to get in touch with the organisors as soon as possible.
“We have received entries from a good number of teams, we do still have a couple of spots open, so we encourage anyone still interested in taking part to get in contact and come and enjoy a great day out,” added Mtembu.
“Rugby is massive in the Eastern Cape and it is always competitive, so we are expecting to have a lot of fun, especially with many former teammates coming up against each other, so we encourage everyone to come and enjoy the day with us.”
The action takes place on Saturday December 21.